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Heaven is an explanation of the concept of heaven, based on the Holy Scriptures, the Bible.

What is the Root Concept of Heaven?

Heaven is the residence of God. It is a place above where we live, and that concept is that the higher a person is, the more glorious he is and the more honor they have. A person “below” another is a morally low person or a person who simply has a lower status in life, or their fortunes are poorer.

Heaven exists because God exists. It is his house, his throne. If God exists, and He does, then he has to have a throne or place wherein He functions as God. Heaven is that concept.

Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 12:2 the concept or phrase “third heaven”. Within Greek thought of the time, the Greeks divided reality into three heavens (with earth being a separate concept, and the underworld of death and punishment being another concept).

The earth is not part of heaven. The air above where men walk and where the birds fly is the first heaven, and the stars and beyond are the second heaven, and the third heaven is where God lives with the saints and the good angels.

Where is Heaven?

If we can take a little liberty here, we know where the first and second heavens are. The third heaven is probably more like another dimension (which the word dimension is a corrupt word for us to use because science fiction has implanted so many unbiblical concepts into that word that I hesitate to use it), or another place outside of earth, hell, and the first and second heavens.

In general, we cast this concept into a spiritual realm. In general, it is “up”. Angels, who can move between the third heaven and earth, come to earth and when they return they go up. Jacob’s ladder is a way up.

What is Heaven? What does it represent?

Heaven is a concept that combines God and salvation. It is a place where saved people go to live forever. In the teachings of the Bible, heaven is where God is. At the present, it is up. But it is not like behind the moon. No man can get to heaven in a spaceship. It is beyond man’s ability. But at some point in the future, God promises to make a new heaven and a new earth, and the throne and “courtroom” of God will descend on this new earth, and heaven will be on earth.

God’s dwelling place

Deut 26:15; Zech 2:13; 1Kgs 8:30, 39, 43, 49; 2Chr 6:18, 21, 27, 30, 33, 35, 39; Jer 23:24; 1Chr 16:31; 1Chr 21:26; 2Chr 7:14; Neh 9:27; 2Chr 2:6; 2Chr 30:27; Job 22:12, 14; Psalms 2:4; 11:4; 20:6; 33:13; 102:19; 103:19; 135:6; Dan 4:35; Psalms 113:5; 123:1; Eccl 5:2; Isa 57:15; 63:15; 66:1; Lam 3:41, 50; Dan 5:23; Matt 5:34, 45; 6:9; 8:10; 18:14; Mark 11:25-26; Matt 10:32-33; 11:25; 12:50; 16:17; Mark 16:19; Acts 7:49; Rom 1:18; Heb 8:1; Rev 8:1; 12:7-9; 21:22-27; 22:1-5.

The future dwelling place of the righteous

– Called:
› A Garner Matt 3:12
› The Kingdom of Christ and of God Eph 5:5
› The Father’s House John 14:2
› A Heavenly Country Heb 11:16
› A Rest Heb 4:9; Rev 14:13
› Paradise 2Cor 12:2; 2Cor 12:4

The wicked excluded from

Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5; Rev 22:15

Unclassified scriptures relating to

2Kgs 2:11; Job 3:17; Psalms 16:11; 17:15; 23:6; 24:3; 24:7; 73:24; Isa 33:17; Dan 12:3; Mal 3:17; Matt 5:3, 8, 12, 20; 6:20; Luke 12:33; Matt 8:11; 13:30, 43, 49; 3:12; 18:10; 19:21; 22:30; 25:34, 46; Luke 10:20; 12:32; 15:6-7, 10, 32; 16:22; 20:34-36; Luke 22:29-30; Luke 23:43; John 5:28-29; John 10:28; John 12:26; John 13:36; John 14:2-3; John 17:22; John 17:24; Acts 7:55-56; Romans 5:17; 2Cor 5:1; 2Cor 12:2-4; Eph 1:18; Col 1:5-6; Col 1:12; Col 3:4; 1Thess 2:12; 1Thess 4:17; 2Thess 1:7; 2Thess 2:14; Heb 10:34; Heb 11:10; Heb 11:16; Heb 12:22-24; Heb 12:28; Heb 13:14; 1Pet 1:4; 2Pet 1:11; 2Pet 3:13; Rev 2:7; Rev 3:21; Luke 12:8; Rev 4:4; Rev 5:9; Rev 7:9; Rev 7:13-17; Isa 49:9-10; Rev 14:1-3; Rev 15:2; Rev 21:1-5; Rev 21:9-11; Rev 21:18-19; Rev 21:21-25; Rev 21:27; Rev 22:1-5.

The physical heavens:

General references Gen 1:1; Psalms 19:1; 50:6; 68:33; 89:29; 97:6; 103:11; 113:4; 115:16; Jer 31:37; Ezek 1:1; Matt 24:29-30; Acts 2:19-20

Physical heavens, creation of

General references

Gen 1:1; Gen 2:1; 1Chr 16:26; 2Chr 2:12; Neh 9:6; Job 9:8; Psalms 8:3; 19:1; 33:6; 33:9; 148:4-6; Prov 8:27; Isa 37:16; Isa 40:22; Isa 42:5; Isa 45:18; Isa 45:12; Jer 10:12; Jer 32:17; Jer 51:15; Acts 4:24; Acts 14:15; Heb 1:10; Rev 10:6; Rev 14:7

Physical heavens, destruction of

Job 14:12; Psalms 102:25-26; Isa 34:4; 51:6; Matt 5:18; 24:35; Heb 1:10-12; 2Pet 3:10; 2Pet 3:12; Rev 6:12-14; 20:11; 21:1, 4.

New heavens

Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1-4

See our definition of Hell

To see further explanations on heaven, follow these links.

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